I don't need to repeat the accolades Barack Obama has received on his acceptance speech the final evening of the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Suffice to say that neither those who love Obama's soaring oratory nor those hungry for hard, specific detail were disappointed. The climax of a highly successful convention with all the right kinds of drama and none of the wrong kind, Obama's speech shot him and running mate Joe Biden out of Denver on a rocket straight to the White House. Obama's choice of the tough, experienced senator from Delaware seems also to have been a home run: a ticket, not of making up for weakness as Republicans have suggested, but of combined strength.
John McCain, on the other hand, has made the choice of a vice-presidential running mate on the same basis he has made all of his political decisions in this campaign: pandering. In his choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palin, McCain is clearly pandering to woman Democrats who supported Hillary Clinton in the primaries and whom McCain hopes will now vote for him insead of Obama. Stupid right-wingers, without a doubt, will proclaim loudly that McCain "hit it out of the park" with this choice, and that Democrats had better be running scared. They will think what they like, of course (if what right-wingers do in their little heads can truly be called "thinking"), but a closer look at Palin reveals a choice that could hardly have been a more superficial one. Sarah Palin has scarcely half the experience as governor of Alaska that Barack Obama has in the US Senate, and before becoming governor less than two years ago was the mayor of a town with a population of around 8000. Before that she was a sportscaster.
As the running mate of a 72-year-old presidential candidate whose mental acuity seems to fade almost by the day, Sarah Palin is hardly prepared to step in and take over as president. With precious little experience even in state politics, Palin has no experience whatsoever in national politics, and no background in foreign affairs. Finding Republican women governors and senators with more experience than Palin would have been easy for McCain; finding one with less experience would been the difficult task. It is obvious that McCain chose Palin not on the basis of any qualification to serve as president on day two if necessary, but only because she is a woman.
This will all become apparent, of course, when Gov. Palin has to face Joe Biden in the vice-presidential debate scarcely a month from now - hardly enough time for her to make up for the vast knowledge gap between herself and her Democratic opponent. It will be a little sad to watch poor Sarah get disassembled by Biden (certainly far less satisfying to watch than McCain being taken apart by Obama), but it will be a reflection on McCain's judgment America needs to see.
Mark C. Eades
http://www.mceades.com
John McCain, on the other hand, has made the choice of a vice-presidential running mate on the same basis he has made all of his political decisions in this campaign: pandering. In his choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palin, McCain is clearly pandering to woman Democrats who supported Hillary Clinton in the primaries and whom McCain hopes will now vote for him insead of Obama. Stupid right-wingers, without a doubt, will proclaim loudly that McCain "hit it out of the park" with this choice, and that Democrats had better be running scared. They will think what they like, of course (if what right-wingers do in their little heads can truly be called "thinking"), but a closer look at Palin reveals a choice that could hardly have been a more superficial one. Sarah Palin has scarcely half the experience as governor of Alaska that Barack Obama has in the US Senate, and before becoming governor less than two years ago was the mayor of a town with a population of around 8000. Before that she was a sportscaster.
As the running mate of a 72-year-old presidential candidate whose mental acuity seems to fade almost by the day, Sarah Palin is hardly prepared to step in and take over as president. With precious little experience even in state politics, Palin has no experience whatsoever in national politics, and no background in foreign affairs. Finding Republican women governors and senators with more experience than Palin would have been easy for McCain; finding one with less experience would been the difficult task. It is obvious that McCain chose Palin not on the basis of any qualification to serve as president on day two if necessary, but only because she is a woman.
This will all become apparent, of course, when Gov. Palin has to face Joe Biden in the vice-presidential debate scarcely a month from now - hardly enough time for her to make up for the vast knowledge gap between herself and her Democratic opponent. It will be a little sad to watch poor Sarah get disassembled by Biden (certainly far less satisfying to watch than McCain being taken apart by Obama), but it will be a reflection on McCain's judgment America needs to see.
Mark C. Eades
http://www.mceades.com
